Method and apparatus to coat objects with parylene

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel method to apply Silquest to an object as a vapor, a related method to coat objects with Parylene and Silquest, and objects coated by these methods. The invention further provides an vapor deposition apparatus with multi-temperature zone furnaces that is useful for applying a Parylene coating to objects. The invention further provides objects coated with Silquest and polymers, including Parylene, where the objects are incompatible with immersion in water.

1 . A method to apply a coating of Parylene to object, comprising the steps of:
 A. vaporizing Parylene dimer by heating it to 150-200 degrees C. to form gaseous Parylene dimers;   B. cleaving gaseous Parylene dimers to gaseous Parylene monomers by heating gaseous Parylene dimers to 650 to 700 degrees C.;   C. vaporizing Silquest® by heating it to its evaporation point to form gaseous Silquest®;   D. contacting object to be coated with Parylene with the gaseous   Silquest® of Step C; and   E. contacting object to be coated with Parylene with the gaseous Parylene monomers of Step B for sufficient time to deposit coat of Parylene of a final thickness.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Parylene is selected from a group consisting of Parylene D, Parylene C, Parylene N, Parylene HT®, and a Parylene derived from Parylene N. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the Parylene is Parylene C. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in Step A, the Parylene dimer is vaporized by heating in two or more stages. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dimer is heated to about 170 degrees C., and then heated to about 200 degrees C. to about 220 degrees C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in Step B, the Parylene dimer is cleaved by heating in two or more stages. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the Parylene dimer is heated to about 680 degrees C. and then to more than about 700 degrees C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in Steps C and D, the Silquest® is selected from the group consisting of Silquest® A-174, Silquest® 111 and Silquest® A-174(NT). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the Silquest® is Silquest® A-174. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in Step C, the Silquest® vaporized is in a 50:50 solution with water. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in Step C the Silquest® is vaporized at 80 degrees C. for about 2 hours. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the final thickness of the Parylene coat is from about 100 Angstrom to about 3.0 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the object to be coated with Parylene is incompatible with immersion in water. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the object to be coated is selected from the group consisting of electronics equipment, paper, textiles, ceramics, plastics, frozen liquids, batteries, speakers, solid fuel, medical devices, paper, and space suits. 
     
     
         15 . An object coated by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A method to coat objects with Silquest, comprising the steps:
 A. vaporizing Silquest® by heating it to its evaporation point to form gaseous Silquest®; and   B. contacting object to be coated with Parylene with the gaseous   Silquest® of Step A.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the Silquest® is selected from the group consisting of Silquest® A-174, Silquest® 111 and Silquest® A-174(NT). 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the Silquest® is Silquest® A-174. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein in Step A, the Silquest® vaporized is in a 50:50 solution with water. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein in Step A, the Silquest® is vaporized at 80 degrees C. for about 2 hours. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the object to be coated with Parylene is incompatible with immersion in water. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the object to be coated is selected from the group consisting of electronics equipment, paper, textiles, ceramics, plastics, frozen liquids, batteries, speakers, solid fuel, medical devices, paper, and space suits. 
     
     
         23 . An object coated by the method of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         24 . A polymer-coated object, comprising an object coated with Silquest® and with at least one polymer, wherein the object is incompatible with immersion in water. 
     
     
         25 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 24 , wherein the uncoated object becomes at least partially non-functional after immersion in water and subsequent drying. 
     
     
         26 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 25 , wherein the object is an electronics component. 
     
     
         27 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 24 , wherein the uncoated object is degraded upon immersion in water. 
     
     
         28 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 27 , wherein the object is selected from the group consisting of metal, paper and textile. 
     
     
         29 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 24 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polynaphtahlene (1,4-napthalene), diamine (O-tolidine), polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®), polyimides, silicas (SiO 2 ), titania (TiO 2 ), aluminum nitride (AlN), lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ), Parylene D, Parylene C, Parylene N, Parylene HT®, and a Parylene derived from Parylene N. 
     
     
         30 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 29 , wherein the polymer is Parylene C. 
     
     
         31 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 24 , wherein the Silquest is selected from the group consisting of Silquest® A-174, Silquest® 111 and Silquest® A-174(NT). 
     
     
         32 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 31 , wherein the Silquest® is Silquest® A-174. 
     
     
         33 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 25 , wherein the polymer coating is on the inside and outside of the object. 
     
     
         34 . The polymer-coated object of  claim 33 , wherein the polymer coating on the outside of the object is continuous with the polymer coating on the inside of the object. 
     
     
         35 . An apparatus to apply a coating of Parylene, comprising
 a vaporization chamber with a plurality of temperature zones; operably linked to   a pyrolysis chamber; operably linked to   a vacuum chamber.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , where the vacuum chamber is comprised of a deposition chamber operably linked to the pyrolysis chamber and a vacuum means. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the vacuum means is one or more vacuum pumps. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the vaporization chamber has a plurality of temperature zones. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the vaporization chamber has two temperature zones. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the vaporization chamber is a tubular furnace. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the pyrolysis chamber has a plurality of temperature zones. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the pyrolysis chamber has two temperature zones. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the pyrolysis chamber is a tubular furnace.